Demand for ‘Blue Book’

Fife Council has been accused of being as transparent as a 'lump of coal".

Published:08:00Thursday 06 December 2012

Fife Council has been accused of being as transparent as a “lump of coal.”

That was the claim made by SNP leader Peter Grant who has resorted to legal measures to force the council to reveal the impact of possible budget cuts.

In a Freedom of Information request he has demanded that the public see the last two years’ volumes of the budget ‘blue book,’ containing advice from council officers on the likely impact of all the savings they have put forward for consideration.

Cllr Grant said: “Yes, as a councillor I’ve already got this information but the public also have a right to see it.

“I’m having to resort to the law to force the coalition to do what they promised.”

The SNP leader said he had argued at two different committees for more transparency in the budget process but the administration had refused to listen.

He added:“They keep repeating the mantra that they’re being open and transparent but the truth is that they’re being as transparent as a lump of coal.

“The Council is also refusing to publish any of the two volumes of possible cuts that don’t appear in Labour’s budget, even though by their own admission Labour might decide to take some of these cuts as well.

“So not only are people being asked to vote on cuts they don’t really understand, they’re not allowed to know what other options they could have voted for instead.”